A note about contests in retail stores...

I recently won a $25 gift card to Food Lion courtesy of Monster Drink. This was a nice surprise, but perhaps not totally unexpected.

You see, I remember entering this contest a while back... probably because I stood in the aisle for 5 minutes digging through my purse to find a pen. (I remember rejecting the notion of using a crayon, for the record.)

Simply put, placing a contest box with no writing utensil is almost a guarantee that not many people will enter. I don't know if it was placed sans pen/pencil, but I do know that there wasn't one in sight when I happened upon the box.

It occurred to me after the call to congratulate me as a winner that I'd won a bike a few years ago at Long John Silvers much the same way. Same thing: A contest box with nothing to write with to fill out the entry form. So folks, if you see a contest box with no pen in sight, make sure you dig deep for that pen in your purse or take your entry to the customer service desk and borrow a pen to fill it out. It could just be the ticket to winning a nice prize.

Ukrops in Fredericksburg, VA is closing, will shutter Jan 30

I read in the Freelance Star a few weeks ago that the Ukrops chain was bought out by Giant... except for the Fredericksburg, VA store. Now, I don't normally shop at Ukrops, but that is mainly because I live so far away. I do, however, stop in about once a month or so to stock up on some gluten free food items. For me, it is hard to get much by way of gluten free goodies here in my lil town, so I relied somewhat heavily on Ukrops and most recently Wegmans for my goodie fixes.

I am sad to see it go, but I understand why the decision was made. I did stop by the customer service desk to offer my condolences and to ask about things like:

1) When are they closing? January 30

2) When will they quit taking coupons for items? Not sure, there has been nothing coming down the chain to say they won't be taking coupons until they close.

3) When will they start discounting? This is the last week for a regular sale. Next week they will start discounting to 20%.

4) What about the fuel perks? Use em' up as soon as you can. Your receipt states expiration date.

So if you live in or near Fredericksburg, please make sure you make it to Ukrops before then. I do plan to go back and hopefully stock up on some gluten free items before they close for good.

MoveBuilder's customizable moving options set them apart from the rest

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of MoveBuilder. The opinions are 100%.

Finding a reputable mover can seem like a daunting task, let finding a moving company that delivers as promised. Movebuilder.com makes the task easier by offering a free estimate of moving costs and even invites prospective clients to compare movers by comparing their free estimate with other estimates that they might receive from other moving companies. Don't pay for services you don't want or don't need. MoveBuilder allows clients to customize their moving options. Pay only for the moving options that are needed.

MoveBuilder offers fast transit time for when every second counts, reducing the chance that household goods will arrive long someone has arrived at their new home. Current delivery dates typically range from approximately 2 to 5 business days - anywhere in the country.

Perhaps even more important to note is that the items loaded into the moving trailer are yours. Other moving companies commingle goods, which increases the chance that items can be lost or misdelivered. There is security in knowing that when items are loaded to move they are not mixed in with other people's household goods just because you are both headed the same direction.

MoveBuilder even offers a handy calendar on site that is aimed at saving potential clients money by pinpointing the least expensive/most expensive days to move. Be sure to check out their other online moving tools such as their moving checklist and moving tips.

Soy Jar multipacks on full ECB ($6) this month....

I stepped into a CVS in Fredericksburg today partly to cull through the clearance and partly because I had some ECBs in my purse that were short on time. I found some Soy Joy multipacks on full ECB, but I passed. I think I've mentioned before that no one in my house will eat these, even my young son who will eat just about anything that looks like a snack.

I also spotted some multipacks of CVS brand wipes, which I still use though we're past the baby diaper stage here. These were a decent deal for me - about $6 each, plus each had $2 ECB on them. I paired that with a $2/$10 coupon to sweeten the deal and used some of my ECBs on that. Oust was also on ECB and I got $3 back on that can, for a total cost of .99.

Join Atkins Community, get free Atkins kit, including 3 Atkins bars

If you pledged to lose weight this year and are thinking about the Atkins diet, you may want to sign up for the Atkins Community. By doing so, you will receive a free Atkins kit, which will include 3 Atkins bars. The Atkins Community is meant to help provide support during weight loss, so please only sign up if you are interested in joining in and lending support as well as receiving some too.

My hubby has gone on the Atkins diet before and he did lose a good amount of weight. He ate a lot of low carb bars to ward off the snackies, including some Atkins bars. His favorite bars by far were the peanut butter cups.

Link to free Atkins Kit

Free Spot Shot w/purchase of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" DVD

Starting tomorrow (1/5/2010), if you purchase Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs on either DVD or BluRay, and Spot Shot, you can get the purchase price of your Spot Shot back (up to $5.49). If your store doesn't carry both products, no worries! You can buy them separately, just be sure to save the receipts and proofs of purchase from both products.

This offer begins 1/5/10 and runs through 3/31/10.

Read more about this offer here.